Distress, Fatigue, and Sexuality: Understanding and Treating Concerns and Symptoms in Patients With Multiple Myeloma .

Background: The psychological needs of patients and caregivers may be inadvertently overlooked, contributing to the patient's distress and possibly compromising outcomes. Untreated, these psychological needs may impair the patient's ability to make decisions and adhere to treatment. 
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Young Adults with Multiple Myeloma.

Objective: To identify the salient issues of young adults (YAs) diagnosed with multiple myeloma (MM), a hematologic disease of older adults, that is rare in patients 19-40 years of age.

Data Sources: Peer-reviewed journal articles, case reports, single-institution series, and national guidelines.

Conclusion: Compared to older adults with MM, YAs live longer and are at higher risk for survivorship-related issues, which include treatment adherence, infertility, reproductive concerns, risk of second primary cancers, treatment-related cardiotoxicity, and higher risk of non-cancer-related mortality.

Clinical response and miR-29b predictive significance in older AML patients treated with a 10-day schedule of decitabine.

A phase II clinical trial with single-agent decitabine was conducted in older patients (>or=60 years) with previously untreated acute myeloid leukemia (AML) who were not candidates for or who refused intensive chemotherapy. Subjects received low-dose decitabine at 20 mg/m(2) i.v.

Mobilization of hematopoietic stem cells for use in autologous transplantation.

Autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is a potentially curative therapeutic approach for various malignant hematologic and lymphoid diseases. Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) may be collected from the blood or the bone marrow. HSCs are capable of self-renewal and give rise to progenitor cells, multipotent cells that differentiate and proliferate into the mature cells of the blood and immune system.

Rapid mobilization of functional donor hematopoietic cells without G-CSF using AMD3100, an antagonist of the CXCR4/SDF-1 interaction.

Allografts from HLA-matched sibling donors were mobilized and collected without granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) using AMD3100, a direct antagonist of CXCR4/stromal-derived factor 1 (SDF-1/CXCL12). Donors (N = 25) were treated with AMD3100 at a dose of 240 mug/kg by subcutaneous injection, and leukapheresis was then initiated just 4 hours later. Two-thirds of the donors collected an allograft with a CD34(+) cell dose sufficient for transplantation after just one dose of AMD3100.

Phase I study of decitabine alone or in combination with valproic acid in acute myeloid leukemia.

Purpose: To determine an optimal biologic dose (OBD) of decitabine as a single agent and then the maximum-tolerated dose (MTD) of valproic acid (VA) combined with decitabine in acute myeloid leukemia (AML).

Patients And Methods: Twenty-five patients (median age, 70 years) were enrolled; 12 were untreated and 13 had relapsed AML. To determine an OBD (based on a gene re-expression end point), 14 patients received decitabine alone for 10 days.

Second complete remission in an elderly patient with acute myeloid leukemia retreated with decitabine.

A 67-year-old man with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) was treated with low-dose decitabine. He achieved a complete remission (CR) after two cycles of therapy, and he remained in remission during 1 year of treatment. He developed recurrent AML after discontinuation of decitabine.

Hematopoietic cell transplantation in the treatment of leukemia.

Objectives: To review the current evidence regarding the role and benefits of hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) in leukemia.

Data Sources: Review articles, original articles, internet web sites, and books.

Conclusion: HCT is a potentially curative treatment modality for patients with hematologic malignancies such as leukemia.